Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1887-02-22
DECLINE UF THE MOSSBACK.
He Is Giving Way to More Enterprls.
tng Men.


The following article, which is
clipped from the Portland (Oregon)
Daily News, applies equally well to
Idaho. That is why we print it:
There is Enthusiastically a new era
in store for Oregon. She is gradually
shaking off the lethargy of years, and,
with the improvements rendered pos
sible by recent legislation, she may be
expected to forge ahead in manner
justified by her natural resources. Too
long in certain localities there has
teen dominant Il spirit which looked
askance at every stranger, discour-
aged enterprise. and entrenched itself
within is callous shell Of mossback.
ism. "Reminiscences Of the past, an
ecdotes of "what we used to do in so, y
were deemed matters of greater in
terest than the affairs Of the present
or the future One would almost i'm
agine that in many localities the
golden age of Oregon was in the past,
and that the present generation WAS
one of pigmies as compared with the
giants of old-that is, of quarter Of
century back.
A few of our shrewdest business
men had acquired comfortable COM
petence, and the general welfare of
the city or the State became matter
of indifference. Various enterprises
which would 90 far toward making
prosperous communities and develop
the country met with no encourage
ment, because the immediate returns
we're not so extravagant as could be
secured in some other branches oil
business.
Investment by foreign capital wa:
discouraged because of the possible
interference with home schemes, which
never could OF would be matured
Our wholesalers watched with sleepy
Indifference while Eastern cities were
cutting tremendous gashes INTO TIT
trade which should have come here
Ia fancied security they scorned tn
idea of "extending their business,
regardless of the effect which such
policy would have upon tie prosperlt
of the town. Home manufacture
were tabooed because it might requir
some time to make articles as goo
and as cheap as could be procure
East. The chief encouragement wa
given to monopoly in its divers forms
, where so many branches of industr
=, were crystallized in the hands of
, favored few, and anything like con
petition WAS met with i'll disguised r'
> sentiment. An absurd attempt at tt
q spirit of caste and local aristecrac,
1 based solely upon the length of res
dence. was made, which regarde
new corners in the light of parven,
: and upstairs. When, for Instance,
Il comparatively new man here inst
tuted an enterprise of threading tt
valley with a narrow-gauge system
railways, he met with only sneers ar
IS rdicu!e, which gradually changed
;, cheers and applause rs success BEGAN
, assured.
The most conspicuous force at II
u initiation of any new enterprise W
e the oInniprcsent en- DINER, who seldo
i hestated to invoke the machinery
# the courts to bl ok and thwart al
, important undertaking 1t vas nat
rally impossible under such cond
o ton of things that the State shou
st thrive and prosper with vigorou
d healthy growth. While things we
permitted to drift along under tt
. languid and unprogressive polio
'e newer commonwealth were comir
At to the front, new cities to the east al
1t south Of US were resounding to 4
E. busy hum of industry, and leaving i
% older towns of Oregon far in the re'
Happily all the indications now poi
~ to changed and changing condi,io
d. of things. Tie long sluggish iii
er blood Of the commonwealth is stir
y. 10 a quicker movement. A new spi
=, that is bound to push and go ahead
superseding the old let-alone polio
Competition is coming in to stir
the venerable. moss covered monor
49, lies of the past. Progress may fol
time he hindered by selfin,erest
opposition, aided by the power
er iniuuctions. But obstructionism
against the order of nature, and af
the rebukes that it has received
late it must soon sink into merit
Ter obscurity.
he With the great system of the Uni
,la Pacific, backed with practically |
nv limited resources, brought to bear
sd developing the State, its ramificatie
,or penetrating remote sections, and SIT
~. ulating business with revived per
~ of railway construction, and impro'
-. ~ terminal facilities, and with comp'
III ton established in Geographic &C
'ne munication, the old, stationary, c.
Wv ,,o tracted policy must soon give way
no broader. more liberal and progress
ideas. With the latter spirit OF
fully infused, the future OF Oregon
'ly leading State is assured.